Keto Hazelnut Ricotta Cakes [Keto, Low-carb, Sugar-free, Gluten-free]
Hazelnut Ricotta Cakes w/ Chocolate Ganache
Keto | Low-carb | Sugar-free | Gluten-free | Soy-free | Vegetarian
The Hazelnut Ricotta cakes I made on MasterChef got me in the top of the competition! So I just knew I had to make a Keto version. What I didn’t expect was that the Keto version was going to turn out even better than the original! This is perhaps the most delicious Keto dessert I’ve ever tasted (and it's certainly the most professional!) If you want to impress your loved ones with a dessert that looks like it came from a fancy pastry shop, THIS IS IT! Is it the easiest dessert? Not really. But is it difficult to make? Absolutely not! It’s actually quite simple, and I’ve broken it down for you step-by-step. This dessert can be made by anyone, at any cooking level. And it really is Masterchef quality…
*And don’t forget to read through the PRO TIPS for this recipe below!*
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6 (Makes 3 large/muffin size cakes or 6 standard “cupcakes”)
Hazelnut Ricotta Cakes
1 cup (plus extra for garnish) - Raw hazelnuts (filberts, see PRO TIPS)
¼ cup - Sugar-free dark chocolate chips (or 1.5 oz of a sugar-free dark chocolate bar)
¼ cup - Almond flour
½ tsp - Baking powder
¼ cup - Unsalted butter, softened
½ cup + 1 Tbsp - Granulated Allulose
Zest of ½ Navel orange
2 - Eggs, separated
⅓ cup - Whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 tsp - Vanilla extract
⅛ tsp - Sea salt
Non-stick cooking spray
Sugar-free Chocolate Ganache
½ cup - Sugar-free dark chocolate chips (see PRO TIPS, I used ChocZero brand)
1 Tbsp - Salted butter
½ cup - Heavy cream
Optional, for garnish: Toasted hazelnuts, orange zest, and/or flaky finishing salt (These are options but highly recommended! 😉)
PRO TIPS:
You must use DARK chocolate for the ganache! Milk chocolate will NOT work here.
If you have pre-made hazelnut flour at home, the recipe MIGHT still work, but you’ll still need to toast the hazelnut flour in a frying pan in order to achieve that really important nutty flavor. That being said, you will need about 135 grams of hazelnut flour.
If you don’t have a blender, a food processor will work, but might not make the hazelnut flour as “fine” and could affect the texture. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer in a bowl. You can also do it all by hand - it’ll be a great workout for your arms when you whip the egg whites ;)
For this recipe, I use a “jumbo” muffin tin. If you don’t have one, you can grab one HERE on Amazon. Optionally, you can also use 3-inch ramekins instead. Optionally, you can use a standard size cupcake tin, but since the cakes will be smaller, divide the batter into six wells, instead of three, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges get brown.
Save this ganache recipe! You can pour it over any cake, ice cream, or cookies. As it cools, it will turn firm, and becomes a beautiful fudgy topping for any of your favorite desserts.
Click HERE to watch the Hazelnut Cake recipe on YouTube!
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
FOR THE HAZELNUT CAKES:
MAKE HAZELNUT FLOUR Start by pouring the hazelnuts into a sauté pan on the stove, then turn the heat to medium. Continuously stir/toss the hazelnuts so they don’t burn, toasting them until they start to darken in color and smell fragrant (about 4 to 5 minutes). Then, pour the nuts onto a plate and set them aside to cool. (If you’re in a hurry, you can also place the nuts into the freezer for a couple minutes.) Either way, the hazelnuts need to be completely cooled before the next step. After the hazelnuts have cooled, add them into a blender (see PRO TIPS). Blend the hazelnuts on high for about 10 to 20 seconds, or until you have a smooth “sandy” hazelnut flour. Stir as needed, to ensure an even blend.
MAKE “DRY” MIXTURE With the hazelnut flour still in the blender, add in the chocolate chips. Pulse the blender a few times, or until the chocolate chips have blended into the hazelnut flour. Note, do not let the blender run too long, as the heat produced will start to melt the chocolate in the blender. As soon as the chocolate has blended into the hazelnut flour, add in the almond flour and baking powder, and pulse two or three times, just to combine the final “Dry” mixture. Set it aside.
MAKE “WET” MIXTURE Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment (see PRO TIPS), add the butter, allulose, and orange zest. Mix on low speed to “Cream” the butter and sweetener, until it almost has the texture of wet sand. Next, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, and salt, and mix together until smooth. Finally, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the “DRY” Mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined and smooth. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and set aside.
WHIP EGG WHITES In a separate bowl, (using the stand mixer or hand mixer - just make sure you’re using a clean bowl), whip the egg whites on high for about 2 minutes, or until they form “stiff peaks”.
COMBINE THE BATTER Use a rubber spatula to gently “fold” the egg whites into the hazelnut mixture, adding a little egg white at a time. DO NOT STIR - just gently fold it together, as stirring will cause the egg whites to deflate. Once the mixture is fully smooth, it’s ready to bake.
BAKE Grease three wells of a large 3-inch muffin tin (see PRO TIPS) with nonstick baking or cooking spray. Then, divide the batter evenly into the three wells. Smooth out the batter on the top of each well to ensure an even cook. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or just until the center is no longer jiggly to the touch and the outside is brown. Take the pan out of the oven (Tip: If they come out with a “dome-shaped” top, gently pressing the tops flat with the bottom of a flat measuring cup or water glass). Once fully cooled, gently flip the tin upside down to carefully remove the cakes, and place them top-side down onto a serving plate.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
Place the chocolate chips and butter into a small heat-safe mixing bowl, and set aside. Meanwhile, place the heavy cream into a medium saucepan over high heat, and stirring regularly - keep a close eye on it, and don’t walk away, as you don’t want it too fully boil. As soon as it comes to a gentle boil (look for small bubbles throughout), pour the cream directly over the chocolate chips and butter. Without stirring it, just let it melt for about 3 minutes. Use a small spatula to stir the chocolate until everything is combined and smooth. Set the ganache aside to cool a bit before topping your cakes.
TO SERVE:
Once the ganache has cooled about 25%, carefully spoon the chocolate halfway over each cake, allowing it to slowly drip down the side. For garnish, you can place a few of the extra toasted hazelnuts on top of the chocolate, sprinkle a little orange zest, and/or flaky salt.
